


180° Scorching Degrees of Beautiful

by Kisuru



Series: Not AO3 Exchanges [8]
Category: Tokyo Babylon, X -エックス- | X/1999
Genre: Action, Blood and Injury, Canon Universe, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kisuru/pseuds/Kisuru
Summary: Subaru and Seishirou cross paths on the same job after a man named Takeda Aito commits suicide. Deciding to work together on finishing the job, Subaru has to deal with Seishirou's nonchalance the entire time. The worst isn't Seishirou himself or the case, however. Subaru must accept his own mistake when Seishirou is badly injured and he must do everything in his power to take care of it. Post-TB.A SeiSub Hanami Exchange 2020 gift for Diamonds Furcoat Champagne.
Relationships: Sakurazuka Seishirou/Sumeragi Subaru
Series: Not AO3 Exchanges [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1311908
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25
Collections: SeiSub Hanami Exchange 2020





	180° Scorching Degrees of Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt:  
> "post-TB, Subaru and Seishirou ran into each other at the same job and need to team up to finish the gig. Bonus if one of them got badly injured."
> 
> I hope this is an interesting version based off the prompt, Diamonds Furcoat Champagne. I thought about how much of a "case" this story would be. There are many things I could've gone into detail about for the case, but I wanted to make the story a little interpretive for the reader based on the information provided. In the end, I wanted to try writing some action and more SeiSub interaction.

The bright streetlight blocked the shadow of negative energy that crept up the back of the billboard. Blue neon light flashed directly in Subaru’s eyes from the billboard, but he did not blink once or stir from engaging with the elusive energy before him. His concentration was hyper focused on the space between the cracks that allotted the energy’s escape.  
  
_To the left_ , Subaru thought. He leafed through the ofuda between his fingers with the intention to shift its trajectory within a milimeter’s notice. _No! The right, right_ —  
  
A small ball of pulsing black-purple light zipped past him. The energy flickered and dimmed. The ball zigzagged past him and bounced off the tallest street sign to the right. It fled elsewhere among the street corner.  
  
Its intention was to draw him off course.  
  
The sheaf of ofuda sprung from his hand and shot at the negative energy. His aim was true – but the energy was too agile to be count with one round of charms. The white ofuda sizzled and disintegrated mid-air. Remaining shreds of the paper landed on in a sidewalk crack, fluttering far out of Subaru’s reach.  
  
The Sumeragi signature of power several stories below Seishirou was not lost on him – the Art and style were intricately woven into his memory, though he was not particularly impressed with the output. His immediate focus rather than the fact Subaru was within a hair’s breadth’s, however. The flesh of energy bounding towards him for a higher escape route was. Without keeping that pathway in mind and guarded, the spell’s negative flow would resume building up its berserk energies one foul step at a time.  
  
_What a coincidence_ , Seishirou thought. _I’ll deal with you later, Subaru-kun_. _Rather, I’ll take care of the mess you didn’t clean up. I came so late our superiors called you in for a late night exorcism on my behalf, did they?_  
  
Opening his palm, the black ofuda wavered in the breeze. He didn’t think he would need them. He wouldn’t need to waste all of his ofuda. The cherry blossoms and illusion would counteract the spell as their own effective cushion. The number should be adequate for the gathering of perverse evil and hatred.  
  
Scouting out the skyline, his hawk sent back the scrying images to Seishirou’s conscious. He watched with his mind in full detection. Seishirou was glued to the sight of the aura attempting to hide in the misty shadow that covered the rooftop he stood on from a highrise. Each back and forth movement helped him pinpoint an accurate spot.  
  
He would prove that he could this job on his own. He didn’t need Sumeragi assistance.  
  
“You will attack me because I am in front of you, or search for a weak target,” Seishirou said, amused. “Would that anger concern me? No. But I can’t let you run rampant and cause chaos, now can I? That is, in fact, of my concern.” Because the spellcaster had been that cautious and unyielding, the result of that spell caused him distaste for propensity of how he sunk to his inner demons, after all; he had been a fool. Ultimately, he must have committed suicide for the upperhand.  
  
To Seishirou, the plan wasn’t the worst play of things. Death brought about the dark Art into fruition through means that clans such as Sumeragi would balk at in stifling disgust. Yet his client had been sloppy, if anything showed through his feeble spell going off-the-chart.  
  
It would be bothersome rather than a chore.  
  
The energy ball slinked through the shadows under the window on the building. Seishirou flicked the ofuda, and they flung towards the ball, slicing through the energy in a matter of seconds. The aura shrieked and expanded, inflating twice its size. The ofuda tore inside it with the ferocity of razor-sharp claws. It shrunk, rippled, snatched the deepest focal point of the evil spell and plunged into it.  
  
Exploding, the negative energy reached out for him with black tendrils. But it was too late for it to do harm, or follow another low path that was below the ceiling he stood on and escape. The tendrils wavered, flailing, then dropped. The spell plummeted. It disappeared into nothing before it hit the small bed of pink flowers on the sidewalk next to the street.  
  
“And as for you…” Seishirou pocketed the last few ofuda. He placed his foot on the edge of the building, seeking a firm place to jump down. A dark head could be seen from even his position. A familiar face would follow that. “This does concern the both of us. That was a fake. There’s more to this, you know.”  
  
Subaru tensed. The blanketing sense of evil permeating the air vanished within seconds. At first, he swore he must have lost it again – but no, there was no denying the nature of that violent stronghold on the spell’s end.  
  
The shikigami teetered back and forth on Subaru’s wrist. Its talons wrapped around his wrist, squeezing him with unusual urgency to spring. It waited for a command to alight in the air. He didn’t sense any evil auras staking out the buildings, now. The area was quiet.  
  
Without permission, the crow leaped from his arm. Momentarily, it disappeared into the fog of light that danced in the night sky. With so many buildings, street signs, and the glow of the moon, the light pollution covering the night sky made the sight barely visible.  
  
Subaru called out to it. They didn’t have time to waste when the spell had broken apart and there was more to be done, but the crow did not return to his arm. He didn’t have to ask, though – not once the presence of the black Art and scent of cherry blossoms enveloped him even from a distance. The marred call of a hawk sent a cold shiver down his spine.  
  
Subaru was shocked. His knees buckled under him. He ground his feet and stayed upright.  
  
_I didn’t search for you tonight at all_ , Subaru thought. _I haven’t searched for you… for a week. It hurts too much. Well, that’s a lie. I always search for you. Why would you choose right now to come out here_? Bitter reminders and confusion were too much for him. It was farfetched that he would show up out of the blue announced while he was doing a job. He must have a cruel agenda for appearing.  
  
The two-headed crow and hawk circled each other several building stories above Subaru’s head. The crow flapped its wings in irritation. The hawk cawed and dived under the crow.  
  
“Good evening, Subaru-kun,” Seishirou said. He dropped down from the ledge nearby. “Are you out for a stroll on this fine night?”  
  
Subaru pulled the spirit crow back with a light coax of his spiritual energy. He touched its wing. Dejected with his insistence, the crow fell on his shoulder. Seishirou didn’t bother reining his hawk in. The hawk glared down at them and circled high above their heads.  
  
The hum of dark onmyoujitsu was perfectly potent and malicious and widespread. The goosebumps on Subaru’s arms rose. Full instinct on alert overshadowed even the track of his thoughts about the spirit at hand.  
  
Seishirou twirled the cigarette between his fingers. He took a drag. “The source of the power disappeared,” he said, blowing smoke. The smoke curled in a twist above his head. “However, the negative power is not an actual spirit. At least… It’s not an intact spirit, now. It’s splintered. The soul inside it is overtaken. Don’t you find that a dedicated curiosity?”  
  
Subaru’s chest caved in with the sound of his voice. Still baritone and rumbling down to his inner chest. Still with an undercurrent of pure emotionlessness that had whispered in his ear while he had slowly, so viciously, hurt him.  
  
“Leave this alone. I am in the middle of it,” Subaru said. He turned on his heel.  
  
“The client’s name was Takeda Aito,” Seishirou announced. The fire deliciously burned his throat. “Forty-seven years old. He was laid off his job and couldn’t take the hit to his reputation; it brought shame upon him and his entire family. He was honorable only in the event he knew when there were no more alternatives for him. There were rumors he was in the middle of a large dispute with his colleagues. You wouldn’t know this, but he was set to murder a wide range of people throughout the country in upcoming years.”  
  
Subaru grimaced. He had information about him as well. Which meant… Hiding the truth was pointless. Speaking with him might kill him aside from the obvious rivalry. He wanted to embrace death. He could pretend he was an onmyouji affiliated with the Sumeragi, but his hopes to ignore the cherry blossom scent were dashed the moment he said he could. The scent tickled his nose. It was an outright mountain to climb. “This is a powerful spell gone awry. The spell is simple yet tricky. I couldn’t… stop him from unleashing it when he committed suicide earlier, and his soul was caught up in it,” he said. “The power of concentration in the spell is unstable.”  
  
Seishirou’s mouth twisted, and Subaru was ready to pounce if he went too far. He would go too far without caring one bit, because the Sakurazukamori didn’t know another way.  
  
“From a man who wanted to curse the world with his brittle hostilities. He stoked the fires of his grudges and resentment. He peppered them with cruel, unforsaken rage upon the city,” Seishirou said. “But his plot was weak and more of an unnecessary nuisance. Lethal, nonetheless.” He smiled. “Not a quick death, I presume? You should have waited for me to arrive at his home and finish the job. Rather, you shouldn’t have interfered with my prey.”  
  
Subaru’s chest rose and fell. Truly, in that moment of deep innermost panic, the fixation to stare at his gouged eye was denied. The wide-rimmed sunglasses perched on the astute Sakurazukamori’s face reflected the blinding neon blue light in the distance.  
  
The assessment was only half an explanation.  
  
_Prey_ , Subaru thought to himself, softly, the wretched, harsh word caught in his throat. He dug his fingernails into his palms. _He called someone else his prey… and he would_ … The Sakurazukamori had known the extent to which that would thoroughly knife him in the heart. From the looks of it, Seishirou was scrutinizing him for any sign of reaction.  
  
“The spell split into fragments. The soul is in another half – the one we took care of was void of any real emotion. It was a decoy so he could get away from me,” Subaru said.  
  
“How noble of Subaru-kun to take care of even the decoys first,” Seishirou said.  
  
Subaru choked down the hiss that threatened to break free from his throat. The power in his fingertips frizzled as a warning not to follow. “He is still wandering the city on his accord. I can’t let his spell hurt both him and other people. I need to purify the soul and send him to the afterlife. Now, if you’ll _excuse_ me, Sakurazukamori, I will take my leave.”  
  
The buildings passed Subaru as his brisk pace hit its peak. He didn’t know where to head off to (he should return to the Sakurazuamori’s side and throttle him, he should finish the sentence had wanted to say four years ago outside the hospital room) but he couldn’t stop. He should catch the last train. But where should the last train lead him to?  
  
_Impressive_ , Seishirou thought. He removed his cigarette one more time and took another long, billowing breath of air, ridding the smoke in his lungs. He threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. _As expected of the Sumeragi name. He is quite cordial._  
  
When the Sakurazukamori fell in stride behind him, Subaru shut his eyes and internally wept. A tear almost slipped from his eyes. After years of holding back, he bit back the dark urge to unleash everything inside.  
  


* * *

  
  
The late night displays of restaurants and store shops shone in multicolor. Due to the situation, Subaru kept his attention on the path before them. Seishirou was curious about where he would go until he realized that he had even less of a proposal.  
  
“Where do you think Takeda-san went? You read his data, yes?” Seishirou asked.  
  
“He would go to work for revenge eventually,” Subaru said. He stopped on the street corner, deciding which way to turn. The alley to the left was dark without any lamplights. “I didn’t travel there right away because I didn’t think he made it that far. That’s when the decoy popped up. I’m taking us to the train station is this direction; we can try to ambush him at his office. His office is located in Nakano-ku. Do you think he would have time to travel there from Sumida-ku within an hour?”  
  
Subaru doubted that would be the case. Nakano-ku was a few wards from Sumida-ku, and Takeda’s bloodthirst had needed the release of finding a target soon. _He would be confused with directions,_ Subaru thought. _Some vengeful spirits usually takes longer than a day to get that far, and I think he fits that bill. His power is disorientated._  
  
“Who knows?” Seishirou asked, shrugging. The possibility was nothing short of in the realm of chance, but he doubted that Takeda would make it all the way back there himself. He reached for his pocket, presumably for the cigarette box and a second round of smoke.  
  
Subaru huffed. Why had he bothered asking if he planned to be cryptic without helping him? He should leave him behind and forget about it. _While I say that_ , he thought, _I don’t think… I don’t think I actually can._ His heartbeat thumped in his chest as an affirming cue _._ He hated the outright smiling-yet-not-smiling expression on Seishirou’s face that suggested he wasn’t oblivious to his reluctance.  
  
Subaru tried to assert it. “Go home if you’re not going to do anything but stare at with me with… smugness and amusement, and—“  
  
A scream caught them both off-kilter.  
  
A group of people rushed out of the swinging doors of a convenience store across the street. Neither of them waited for a signal, and they were at the door. Another group bolted past them. Subaru pushed his way inside, and Seishirou closely followed behind him.  
  
A huge pile of items from tiny cans, plastic wrapped foods, hand-held carts, and bottles were dropped on the floor. A front shelf on the first isle had been slammed to the floor.  
  
The cramped store space didn’t cover up where and what the problem was that caused the disturbance. It was more than visible.  
  
The black-purple mass of energy was twice the size of the one that they faced the first time. The spell hovered above the shelves, slithering above each aisle. As if searching for something it couldn’t find, it slammed one of its long tendrils at the ceiling. The ceiling boomed and the convenience store rocked under the energy’s otherworldly weight.  
  
“What an utter waste,” Seishirou murmured. He picked up a handful of crushed doughnuts that littered the floor under a discarded shelf. “Convenience store doughnuts are not Mister Donut quality, but they are acceptable for on the go snack. Oh!” He turned a smashed doughnut so he could read the wrinkled label. The cream leaked on his fingers, and he shook his head. “This one is cream-filled. Do you know what this is? I bought these all the time for you on jobs. You loved them! But Hokuto-chan said they weren’t good for her figure when I gave her one on an excursion, and I bought… Oh, that—” Seishirou picked up another crushed plastic bag. “This was the brand for her! She smiled eating these.”  
  
Subaru unsheathed his ofuda. He aimed them towards the mass of energy. He wished he could say that targeting the massive blob was good enough of a choice; he also needed a decent point that would penetrate it. “You’re… joking? I know you hate Takeda-san, but… You really don’t care about anything besides eating and sweets at a time like this, do you? Hokuto-chan was right. You’re a glutton.”  
  
“We should eat at Mister Donut for old time’s sake,” Seishirou continued. He ignored the rest of his indignation. He thought he would be flustered, but Subaru had his priorities in sight, and he could appreciate a man who put aside his food cravings for frontal action.  
  
“As long as you pay,” Subaru said. He didn’t expect him pay for his meals these days.  
  
“That can be arranged.”  
  
His hawk flew past Seishirou’s head, and he instructed it to attack. The hawk soared towards the spell’s mass. Dark light emitted from its wings and stabbed into it; its beak pecked into its own layer, hoping to crack open the outer shell for entrance. No such luck even though the hawk pecked and pecked and didn’t let up. The mass swatted it back, and the hawk flew back to him.  
  
“You took it all from me!” Takeda screamed. His voice echoed in the fumes of his rage, the voice tinny like it went through a tube. “I’ll take it all from you – I’ll take your head!”  
_  
So he really does want to injure someone specific_ , Subaru thought. Asking who he meant might bring things closer to an understanding, but he also didn’t know how that would equally tip the weights into more bonfires of uncontainable, uproarious rage.  
  
“Takeda-san, please!” Subaru called to him. The wind in his ears muffled the sound. “I can help you – but you need to calm down. I told you. We can make this work with some effort. We just need to talk about what happened.”  
  
The soul inside the spell didn’t twitch. His words had completely gone over his head.  
  
“You thought you would get away with it! You wanted to pin the blame on me. You never listened to what I wanted to do. I had the right idea!” Takeda’s face was contorted in panic. “Come out. Face me. You’re there!”  
  
He would have to pick those accusations later. Subaru could sympathize, though. It might have been a misunderstanding. With the Sakurazukamori’s involvement, interpretation was left up to the one hearing his wails.  
  
Subaru pulled the scroll of summoning out. He summoned an assortment of his crows, ravens, and doves. The doves flew in formation to the right, and the crows and ravens handled the left. Forming into energy balls, they blasted at the negative energy. The leftover birds pecked furiously at the outer shell. The endeavor went about as well as Seishirou’s hawk’s earlier mission.  
  
Subaru chanted under his breath. The power of purification built up within his hands. He threw his ofuda. The ofuda stuck. The wall of purification coated the energy and nibbled at its evil. Shards of black and purple showered about the store, offering some result. Some of the ofuda bounced off and landed behind another pile of rubbish and crumpled papers. The negative energy slowed down slightly.  
  
Seishirou would have preferred to go on a physical attack and end things. The overall size and density put that plan in the bud. Without Subaru there, he might have tried things in that manner, but he could keep charging into things in check for now.  
  
The small knife Seishirou always carried put a nice slice on his finger. The blood pooled up on his skin. He drew in the air. The connected endpoints and the symbol came into life; he was pleased with the grunt of blood magic. The reddened and spidering webs of the blood magic jetted forward and hit Takeda’s energy directly in the center. The blood chipped away at him. Takeda didn’t look towards him.  
  
“I hate you. I _hate_ all of you for ruining everything I had!” Takeda yelled.  
  
More and more shelves fell. A crash of glass told that the refrigerated foods and beverages were done for. He had been right. His anger was so too potent for him to hold it back.  
  
_Regular illusions wouldn’t be much of a use_ , Seishirou surmised. It didn’t matter much. The cherry blossoms themselves were one of his most powerful assets in battle. Flicking his wrist, a whole branch’s worth of sprouted cherry blossoms appeared before him.  
  
The cherry blossoms swarmed towards it.  
  
Seishirou didn’t bother asking questions. His previous client wouldn’t hear them anyway. If he had something to say about his role, it would be when Subaru exorcised him.  
  
Indeed, Subaru harbored more patience for this than he had the means to engage. That meant that he observed more than himself. The flicker at the corner of his eye was next.  
  
A tendril of the spell shot out towards the man sitting at the register. The man, frozen with sheer fear, didn’t move or do anything to protect himself. Subaru leapt into the fray.  
  
He blocked the way and put up a small shield. The thin shield broke upon impact. The aura tried again to swipe, but Subaru threw more ofuda at it. Quaking, the spell recoiled.  
  
Subaru finally found a moment of peace. He glanced over his shoulder at the store clerk.  
  
“Um, um – are you alright? Are you hurt?” Subaru asked. The desk was cut in half, and the register was broken, but the person behind was in one piece. The clerk kneeled in the farthest corner of his workspace.  
  
“Uhhh… yeah… No, I don’t think so, but that was sudden.” The store clerk stared at him with his mouth wide open. His jaw was slack, his eyes ready to pop out of his head. He had obviously never seen anything like that in his entire lifetime. “I’m going to be fired.”  
  
“Well…” Subaru would feel terrible about that, and he couldn’t leave him empty-handed. He reached into his pocket. Pushing aside the ofuda holders, he found his wallet of business cards. He pulled one out and handed it to the clerk. “Just tell your manager to call me, and I’ll explain. Or sort it out. Or… don’t worry.”  
  
“I don’t think that’s going to do anything. Our manager is very strict,” the clerk lamented. It was obvious he wasn’t thinking clearly.  
  
The clerk didn’t take the card. He sagged against the counter and rubbed his temples. Subaru didn’t blame him. Subaru placed the business card on the counter. It wasn’t until he turned back around for another round of the fight that he cursed his bad luck.  
  
He was blinded with the bright pink assault of cherry blossoms. The blossoms swirled and slammed into something before them. It was swarming racket, chaos, and bloodthirst swaddled into one; the cherry blossoms did not discriminate in their vicious attack.  
  
Subaru truly hoped that all the civilians were out of the building. From the feel of it, all human souls were out of the vicinity for the blossoms to strike. If nothing else, he was thankful Seishirou thought that far ahead.  
  
However…  
  
One obstacle stood in front of their path.  
  
The surge had happened in a sliver of time.  
  
Takeda, and the massive emotion ball that housed him, had slipped from the store.  
  
It was time for them to move again.  
  
Subaru caught the tail-end of where he was headed. If his predictions were correct, he wasn’t wrong. It wouldn’t be enough to keep up with Takeda if he outsmarted them (and how could he go off the map with a presence of blocks’ worth of resounding energy?). Still, the little bit of a lead was all he needed as long as he hurried and made it. He shouldn’t downplay how crafty Takeda might be.  
  
Subaru took chase down the street. Wildly, he glanced right to left on the street corner for remnants of the purple-black glow of hatred. The proximity of the presence and misshapen mass of energy were nowhere to be seen.  
  
“He’s gone again.” Subaru flopped against the nearest pole. He rested his head back on it. “I didn’t expect it to go that smoothly, but…” He raised his hand. His eyes crossed at the tiny watch hands. “It’s 1 a.m. already. We can’t even take the train to Nakano-ku. I’ve been awake so long. This is going nowhere fast.”  
  
He had to keep going, but his limbs lazed under the pressure of so much chasing and fighting that night. He had been on another job during the day before receiving the call for this one. He closed his eyes and relaxed against the pole. A minute... All he needed was one minute to recharge his batteries.  
  
A hand touched Subaru’s face. His eyes shot open, and he saw two round, black lenses.  
  
Seishirou stared at him directly in the eyes. He was a mere handful of inches away. His lips hovered close to his. The sunglasses still didn’t let Subaru see them past them even on second glance. He was obscure, emotionless.  
  
Subaru flinched. His muscles locked into place. He didn’t know which direction was up or down through the sparks of embarrassment, but the direction of the Sakurazukamori was. He was 180 degrees of too beautiful for the compass to handle the close overload. His inner compass twirled out of control.  
  
_The touch is familiar_ , Subaru thought. He must have done that before… but when? Had he touched his cheek more times than he could count? He had touched him often.  
  
No, Subaru shouldn’t care so much. He did.  
  
Seishirou’s fingertips lightly traced the expanse of Subaru’s cheek. Sometimes he had done the same thing during the year of the bet – he would watch the innocent, inconspicuous Sumeragi sleep when he finally had a chance to rest after a job. Even now, the memory of him slouched on his van’s backseat flooded back. Both were cute.  
  
“You’re the worst,” Subaru mumbled. He didn’t know who he was talking to, because Seishirou wouldn’t listen to him anyway. He was the worst. They were both the worst. He swatted his hand away, stepping away.  
  
Seishirou’s hand dropped. Inwardly, he was thirsty for more, but he was also none in low spirits that he showed how it annoyed him. The Subaru of the past would meekly stare at him until he had to leave him alone or fear he would pass out from uncalled for touches.  
  
Seishirou returned to a normal distance. Subaru’s stomach did a sad somersault. He shouldn’t miss it. He missed the warmth on his cheek. Deeply, Subaru breathed in.  
  
“We could have captured him and sent him on. If only you weren’t so kind to shield strangers, that is. Without that little hang-up, you could have had your hands free and your mind less cluttered on trash,” Seishirou taunted.  
  
Subaru’s head snapped up. A dangerous glint shone in his eye. “If you didn’t assault him with many attacks at once, he wouldn’t know where the most attacks were coming from and wouldn’t have found an exit past them. So don’t give me your ‘kindness is the fault of everything’ distinction.” Sakurazukamori’s strategy hadn’t necessarily been detrimental. Fighting with a steady stream of attack was important. He needed something to fire back at him, but he didn’t agree with his methods. He couldn’t go about the fight on his own.  
  
Seishirou’s blood rushed in his veins at the sound of his anger. The sweet, melodic sound of affront that rarely graced the esteemed onmyouji. It was his greatest treat in life. _Why did I wait years to see this when he has developed so well_? he thought. “I didn’t foresee you had an argumentative bone in your body, Subaru-kun. I have been stood corrected by you. Such a change in pace!”  
  
Subaru didn’t know what he meant. The short breather had given him enough of a chance for his mind to cycle back through the tools they had within sight. They had tried many things inside the convenience store. What was left to try? Should it just be protection?  
  
“I should create an extra protective spell,” Subaru said. “Pour as much of my energy into it as I possibly can. To keep him in place.”  
  
Seishirou tilted his head. “What would that accomplish? A stronger barrier, is it?”  
  
“I don’t think it would be much, but if we can capture him for a moment longer, we might have a split second to make it count,” Subaru reasoned. “An extra fortified barrier can make that work, if we play our cards right.”  
  
When Seishirou didn’t protest, Subaru fished in his pocket for one of his unmarked ofuda. Usually, he wrote the kanji at home with the proper utensils and ink and precision. He had ingrained the art of calligraphy for that reason – not, pray tall, to write on the back of his hand in an empty street with his adversary overlooking his every motion. That wasn’t the protocol of a Sumeragi ritual. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made in a tough pinch.  
  
He flipped the paper on his hand. He took the brush and small bottle of ink and applied the kanji strokes with a wave of white magic to each. His eyebrows knitted in concentration.  
  
Seishirou was immersed in watching him. The pull of his hand backward and the way his eyes followed the piece of paper and brush were fascinating. It wasn’t the mundane act of it, but Subaru made it an Art of his own.  
  
“Truly an insignificant man,” Seishirou scoffed. He wished he didn’t have to spend his night searching for him any longer. Spending his night with Subaru would be pleasant, but he had to endure one evil for the good. He had other engagements in the morning – his main engagement had become the Sumeragi, though. And he had no plans of leaving. “He couldn’t take revenge on the people he hated because he drank the bitterest wine of his own insanity. Instead, he was reduced to a common thief destroying a grocery store.”  
  
Subaru frowned. He couldn’t deny that was the truth, but he wished he didn’t assume things on his own. They hadn’t talked to him for his side of the story. Seishirou would be less inclined to listen for a cozy chat, but Subaru had intentions of asking him, if he were in the mindset to answer in capacity.  
  
Subaru finished writing the last stroke, his brush flicking to the side. He glanced over it. Satisfied, he wrapped his hand around it. He distributed a powerful punch’s worth of his power into it. The ofuda quivered, full to the brim, the power singing inside its seal.  
  
Seishirou was tempted to go up close and personal again, but he restrained himself. He would let him have that moment to himself. The barrier was his plan. “Prepared?”  
  
Subaru safely pocketed the seal ofuda in the farthest most corner, in its own holder than the other white ofuda. He took special care not to bend or fold it. Ofuda could still work when in that condition, but he wanted the inscription to be as intact as possible.  
  
“We still don’t know where he is,” Subaru said. The trace of the aura had disappeared along with the chance of capturing him. Both of them combined should be able to managed that much. “He could be anywhere. And the trains won’t give us anymore leeway.”  
  
Seishirou hummed to himself. “Think about it, Subaru-kun,” he said. “Where do you think a coward of a man like him would head off to after his tail is tucked behind his legs?”  
  
The question had fallen back to the original assumption. Subaru wasn’t sure he should make that claim. The man’s plights were a mystery and his suffering. He had arrived to his apartment when he had taken his ritual too far to the extreme and the evil clouds of his spell engulfed him whole. Subaru hadn’t been able to gauge any sense of his wakeful self. Seeing his face, he had seemed forlorn. Seishirou wasn’t of that opinion one bit.  
  
“He wasn’t a coward,” Subaru said. “You’re arriving to conclusions too swiftly.”  
  
Seishirou laughed. “Oh, you give him too much credit. He was as rash and unseemly as he sounds. His temper made him inferior. You haven’t read the reports on him that I have. After all, I was the original contractor, and they contacted you last minute because I was held up elsewhere tonight. I can’t say I’m upset seeing how our outing has turned out, Subaru-kun—“ His eyebrows rose above his sunglasses as if he winked – “but the what-ifs don’t have bearing. He’s dead. It’s our turn.”  
  
The callous mention of death stirred something darker than even the negative energy they searched for within Subaru. He grabbed the front of Seishirou’s shirt and pulled him close. His fingers wrapped around the thin boarder of his pink tie, and his thumb brushed the opening of his lapel. Again, they were inches apart from each other.  
  
Seishirou didn’t move. Subaru glowered.  
  
Subaru let go of the tie. The rough, scratchy fabric lingered on his skin like thorny scales.  
  
A grain of truth may be in the words. Many people who wanted revenge had their faults and misgivings, so he couldn’t say for sure. Seishirou didn’t have to patience to explain such an assignment details unless the detail was vital. And the details were extraneous. The objective was and doable for them.  
  
Subaru continued down the street.  
  
“It still mattered to him, Seishirou-san. Regardless whether he was a ‘coward’ or not before he committed suicide,” Subaru said, “he would want to be alone. He tried to attack people and cause chaos. Now, he would want to stay secluded for a period of time until he feels it’s safe to come out. He wants to find the people that really caused his suffering.”  
  
“But you shouldn’t count on that being in our favor,” Seishirou added. He fell in step at Subaru’s side. “His negative emotions are too fragile to judge how long is too long.”  
  
Subaru’s lips pursed, his nose wrinkling. He had a point. _The mind is unable to keep track of time in that state. The spirit that gives themselves over to it won’t be able to stop._  
  
The hawk, ravens, and crows, flanked by a herd of doves, flew ahead of them into the sky. The skyline shimmered with silver.  
  
“There’s a park down this way,” Subaru remembered. He stopped in front of the iron gates. “It’s a best lonely place to search at night. Besides, people will be here in a few hours, and we can’t risk them wandering in and finding him sitting out here alone.”  
  
In the darkness, the park loomed before them. A wide footwalk opened out into a bigger square. A small playground was off to the left, and trees and flower beds dotted the scenic landscape. Neither was the park chained off, nor was there a gate to block the entrance.  
  
When they were a decent way down the sidewalk, Seishirou spotted a boarded up vendor booth. The crushed doughnuts had hungered him, but he left them behind.  
  
“Would you mind if I buy you something to eat from one of the food stalls?” Seishirou asked. He gestured to the wide square of carts where vendors sold their stock during the waking hours. Thinking of it, he hadn’t eaten dinner, and he was rather hungry.  
  
Subaru blinked, surprised and confused. “Seishirou-san, it’s the middle of the night. The food carts out here are all closed.”  
  
“You still reject me? I am not a handsome man. I only want to share a cup of fried chicken with Subaru-kun,” Seishirou sighed. “I can buy all the snacks for you. With my meager salary. Let’s share. Like lovers.”  
  
‘Lovers’ sent heated chills down his spine. Subaru envisioned Seishirou holding out a large cup to him after a job in Ueno Park once. “Don’t give me the façade, either. I’m not dropping my guard,” he said, deadpan.  
  
Seishirou smiled and walked ahead of him into the park. “In that case, we should have a date when they are open for us to enjoy.”  
  
_Smooth_ , Subaru thought. Happiness swept his chest into warm fuzziness. He should toss the feeling back out. He couldn’t. He didn’t reply, but he seriously considered a date.  
  
Seishirou already knew what he would say. “Should we be out until the sun rises, perhaps a hearty breakfast would be sufficient.”  
  
Subaru groaned. As tired as he was, he might crawl out of his exhaustion for breakfast.  
  


* * *

  
The trail of the soul led them off the beaten path. After two hours, Subaru wasn’t positive he knew which ward they were in when they finally found the spell far out of the realm of normal possibility, away from distractions.  
  
The spiritual birds landed on the rooftop of a warehouse. Subaru and Seishirou caught up.  
  
Subaru dropped a handful of ofuda in his palm. The stock ran low after two previous fights, but he would manage with the rest. He would have to conserve some for the last fight. He walked around the warehouse and attached the ofuda to various hotspots such as the doors, windows, and cracks that might leak the negative energy out if it banged on it. Seishirou added his ofuda. Soon, the building was covered with black and white paper.  
  
“A convenient hideout,” Seishirou mused. He could go all-out in a wide warehouse, and he wouldn’t have to mind Subaru’s looks of subtle disagreement with his methods.  
  
“This is the best outcome,” Subaru said. He took a long breath. He not only needed to prepare himself for the confrontation, but he needed a momentary break from running.  
  
“Now, Subaru-kun,” Seishirou said, grabbing the door handle. As always, he was unshaken with the leg of their journey, and he could endure much more. His pristine suit was immaculate. His winded hair didn’t have a strand out of place. He already knew the answer. He would humor him. “Why is that?”  
  
“We can corner without having causalities. It’s abandoned. I can’t sense anyone inside,” Subaru said. He took prepared his mental arsenal. “It should, from the looks of it, be vacant. No one will be in the crossfire.”  
  
Seishirou frowned. Despite the circumstances, he put the lives of others beforehand. He did, too, because it was his job – but the priority of causalities was somewhat of a secondary. Something about it was so… still Subaru.  
  
The handle didn’t budge. He turned the knob once, twice, and three times, but the lock didn’t break. Seishirou murmured a spell under his breath. The power built up in his hand and shot out to fry the lock. It clanked out of place. Slowly, the heavy door creaked open. “You go first,” Seishirou insisted. He bowed, nodding, hand over her heart.  
  
Taken aback, Subaru stared at him. He held down age old embarrassment. Of a time that Seishirou had always held doors for him, or he let him take the first bite of a shared dish. Seishirou’s collar dipped with the movement of his bow and exposed the upper half of his collarbone under the clean white shirt. He swallowed, eyes fixated. Redness came to his cheeks. Why did he have to see him in an even newer light? Stomping forward, he entered the doorway. He didn’t look back.  
  
Subaru’s eyes adjusted to the darkness. Then, he followed the hallway. Nothing was in the spare storage room doors that occasionally came up on each side of the hallway. The thought of going in didn’t bother him, or what was before them. Showing his back to the enemy did. His vulnerability did. Seishirou’s eyes would be on him, if for a short period.  
  
Their footsteps clattered on the ground, and Seishirou’s were the loudest in the silence. Seishirou paid strict attention to the younger onmyouji before him. His shoulders were stiff and on high alert. The manner in which he clutched his ofuda between his fingers never loosened. The slight curve of his body further down his back where his shirt ended was quite the feast for his eyes. Well. Yes, the Sumeragi’s professionalism was on point.  
  
“Here,” Subaru said, pointing to the right. “Be—“ He paused. Should say it? He should. He had said it many times back then. They had shared jobs. Seishirou had made himself a guest even when he wasn’t invited and hid his power when he had watched him, but he had been grateful for support. “Careful.”  
  
Seishirou didn’t expect that at all. What an odd thing to wish him. “As you should be.”  
  
The hallway they were in emptied into a shorter hallway. Subaru marched in with purpose. His crow clutched at his shoulder, glancing around both ways uncertainly.  
  
_Indeed_ , Seishirou thought. He still didn’t take his eyes off his backside, but he noted the negative energy several paces away from them. It would be a matter of time, now.  
  
The large warehouse room was dark except for the faraway city lights pouring in through the windows and dim headlights. The boxes on both sides of the room obscured some of the scenery. The main event was even less well-hidden than it had been in the store.  
  
The poisonous essence of the spell slithered across the floor. It had expanded twice as large as it had been two hours ago; the purple streaks of negative chaos inside sparked, swirling, crackling with hatred. The blue soul of the man in question sat in the middle of it, though Subaru doubted his conscious was aware of anything at all. Takada was zoned out, his eyes sunken.  
  
The peaceful encounter lasted a good two or three seconds before all hell broke loose.  
  
The sight of the spell charging towards Subaru was a flash in his mind’s eye. He threw a handful of his regular ofuda at it. The energy slapped them away. He bit his lip, reloaded from his pocket, and cast them. The ofuda made their mark and sizzled on the surface. The negative energy groaned.  
  
Seishirou’s hawk lashed out at the mass on the other side. It dug its talons in, its harsh war cry a testament to its strength. The energy pulled back its ill-formed shape, reformed into a spiked hand, and lashed out. The hawk dodged and went towards the back of the aura for another angle of attack.  
  
_I don’t need them_ , Seishirou decided. Seeing the spell up close again proved that point. Ofuda had their usefulness fulfilled. He had ofuda remaining, but they didn’t have to be wasted. He murmured the chant to himself, gathered up energy in his hands, covering his hands with a protective but offensive strike.  
  
He didn’t feel like holding back his fight skill.  
  
He punched the negative energy with his fists. The spell was almost like punching needles. Little pinpricks of pain welled up in Seishirou’s knuckles from touching it, but the cherry blossoms on his palm covered the strain. He gave a roundhouse kick as well, sending the spell backwards into a chamber of boxes.  
  
The spell roared. With a pulse of energy, the spell crackled with pure animosity. The black fumes reached out for them and swiped at both Subaru and Seishirou, slapping them.  
  
Seishirou landed against a box, and Subaru flew on the ground. Body stretched out in an arch, Subaru was ready to spring to his feet easily. Seishirou propped himself up on his hands and pushed himself up to his feet.  
  
Subaru checked to make sure he hadn’t lost his remaining ofuda. “You angered it.”  
  
“Poor thing. It doesn’t appreciate the good sport of a fight. Use the seal,” Seishirou told him. He dusted himself off; the box had been dusty like it hadn’t been cleaned for years.  
  
“I don’t need to be told,” Subaru said. He pulled out the talisman. Despite the increase in size the power was the true culprit they had to measure. Now that they had worn down its shields a bit and had an idea of its weak points, Subaru could reach the soul inside without as much fumbling fanfare.  
  
The negative energy advanced upon them. Subaru’s crow dashed forward. Turning into a beam of light, it sliced a giant hole into the blackness and pushed it back. The timeframe was significant enough for Subaru to take the chance and launch himself into the thick of it.  
  
His moment wandered on how Seishirou would be until he came back out of the energy field after purifying the spirit. He should be fine. He had his own defenses to put up, and he hadn’t properly begun.  
  
“In that case…” Seishirou said. “Shall we?”  
  
He reached into the deep grove of mind where the cherry blossom tree slept – their place of matchless connection. Gently, he whispered to the tree, awaiting her response. She was always at his disposal and on the precipice of his conscious. Two long, gnarled branches appeared before him. A swarm of light pink cherry blossoms accompanied the branches. With each shake, the branches released more cherry blossoms into the air, and they attacked the negative energy in a gust. The branches stabbed after them.  
  
_Would this lead to more partner-ups between us_? Subaru thought. He tossed a few bullets of magic at the surrounding negative energy to pierce further holes into it. Takeda should be a foot or two away. He put up a shield to block its tendrils; the power was deflected the moment it struck and darted backwards. _I would… No. He can’t… Just because..._ Subaru sighed _. This was a special occasion! I hate him. Why would I betray her? We’re only doing this because we have the same client! I should… I should… After this is over, I will…  
_  
Through the haze of the aura, Seishirou squinted. Subaru’s back was turned and he was walking – but, despite that, he was barely moving. _What are you looking at_? He couldn’t see anything. Takeda’s spirit was feet from that direction. He was close but still not within the right window to shoot the seal.  
  
A large wave of negative energy crashed down towards Subaru. Earlier, Seishirou had sworn he wouldn’t help him that much. He would play back-up now that his part in the deal had been minimized. His thoughts worked faster than the self-denial, and the branches clawed at it. The twigs and trunk snapped in half. The cherry blossoms were crushed under the pressure of the energy.  
  
Seishirou gathered the energy his smoke from earlier had given him. The smoke had been stored away, and he was right to have readied. He dived in. Winding up his arm, he punched the negative energy. The strain of the energy rippled and consumed him.  
  
For as much as Subaru wished to continue his tirade about the Sakurazukamori – put him in his place for all the atrocities committed against him – he couldn’t. His blood froze.  
  
A gruff gasp of air was clear as day to him.  
  
“Seishirou-san—“ Subaru turned around. He shot a round of magical beams, chanting to himself, bringing the side of the warehouse with Seishirou back into focus immediately.  
  
The cloud of negative energy dissipated. A chunk of the aura was irreparably damaged, and Subaru breathed much easier without the evil density weighing down his lungs. But the price of such a thing was an override of fear.  
  
The pain flared up in Seishirou’s arm. The sleeve of his suit ripped open and a line of blood dripped into the fabric. In his side, a piece of the negative energy sank in, and the energy sent a shock wave up his side. His weakened legs fell from under him. A pool of blood dripped down. Seishirou willed himself to stand, but the pain overwhelmed him.  
  
Subaru landed next to the Sakurazukamori. He straightened and frowned, eyes downcast, body and mind filled with fear and anxiety.  
  
Seishirou twitched under his scrutiny, holding his broken arm for support, gritting his teeth.  
  
The tremors of both worry and guilt gathered up in his heart as heavy as an anchor, rocking like a boat on the tumultuous open seas. The old weakness would show. He still couldn’t protect himself even in the presence of an enemy that wasn’t organized and equipped. Being distracted wasn’t an excuse for him. But in this moment, he could… he could…  
  
_He’ll likely reject it_ , Subaru thought, but his feet worked on their own and he approached him. _He’ll accept that he was hit_. Seishirou had always expressed little distain for the injuries he sustained taking care of him during the year of the bet. His eye was a shining example. And, if he could have any peace of mind with his lack of care towards falling into the clutches of the spell, he was prepared to face the consequences of that for him. _Does he have human weaknesses_?  
  
The Sakurazukamori title elevated him above the rest as the cream of the crop. To Subaru, the morality of his life was inconceivable.  
  
Back in the days of the bet, Seishirou always stood up. He would dust himself off and take Subaru’s hand. He helped him to his feet and helped him walk. He would tell him he would protect him. The cost of his life was nothing.  
  
Seishirou didn’t stand up.  
  
Subaru’s heart squeezed. He willed him to, but he didn’t. He couldn’t wait for him.  
  
Subaru kneeled next to him on the filthy, ratty floor, preparing himself mentally. The fingers that clutched the torn carpet were white to the knuckle and too preoccupied.  
  
The purple spell oozed out of the wound, as though keeping it out for its own pleasure. It was between his stomach and his side. The line of the wound was halfway down his side, but the bottom half was where the spell and pool of blood from its wrath mingled together.  
  
Seishirou eyed him. The waves of annoyance washed up his side and chest, and his breath staggered in his chest. To think, he had categorized the spell as nothing more than a nuisance – yet, the power spread through him so quickly, devouring his best power sources. Never had he entertained this scenario, or the fact the Sumeragi heir looked at him with… He couldn’t identify that vague expression.  
  
Subaru wasn’t showing him anger and smugness, which perplexed Seishirou. He should be downright thrilled he had him under his control. He had seen Takeda’s ruthless anger; he could get away with the same thing and there would be no stopping him. Above all, that struck the cords of recklessness.  
  
Seishirou leaned back on the floor. He kept as still as possible. “This is quite an opportunity for you to take advantage of.” A droplet of blood fell from the corner of his mouth and dribbled down his chin. “It is of expectation. This is the perfect time for you to exact revenge for the death of your poor, dear—“  
  
“Shut up,” Subaru said. _Why did you jump in front of it again for me? You tried to kill me! So why right now?_ he asked himself. “Just – just shut up for once in your life. Don’t… do not mention her. Don’t mention Hokuto-chan. Don’t talk to me when you look like this.”  
  
Many times over the years, Subaru had seen similar injuries from amateur practitioners. The severity of the wounds varied in scope. This particular wound, however, exhibited the signs of having a high acceleration before impact. The wound wasn’t simply a flesh wound; it extended even further inside him. It would keep doing so until it reached vital parts of his magic and infiltrated it all.  
  
“My cute Subaru-kun has become impolite,” Seishirou chuckled. His was too dizzy. His sunglasses fogged up with sweat and blood. “Good, good then. Make good on those old ghosts I left you. Do as you will with me.” The blood gargled in his throat and made his voice raspy. He didn’t give him instructions to do anything, but he didn’t move on his own or make it difficult. He wanted to see what he would do for his revenge, or hear him growl his frustrations. No indication gave him the confidence he would save him, anyway. He didn’t want a Sumeragi’s charity to begin with. Not for his pride. Asking for a Sumeragi to save him would besmirch his good name.  
  
Subaru heeded the advice. He pinched the arm of his sunglasses off his face and tossed them off to the side. Seishirou’s eyes were misted with a tear or two, the reflex of pain more an instinct than an emotion. The pain still made his heart ache. Even under the dim light, the glass eyeball gleamed up at him. The mismatched eyes were so different. Subaru was mesmerized with the close-up.  
  
No, he couldn’t be distracted. Not yet.  
  
He placed a hand under Seishirou’s elbow and raised it so his arm was propped up on his leg. He peeled back the ruined shreds of the suit and pants. He was careful to avoid the center of where the wound was located and not irritate it. Gentleness had its downside. Seishirou could feel every movement and caress. It would have been efficient to go faster. Nonetheless, he was cleaning it up for the end part, which was what mattered. He could endure that. And he didn’t have a complaints against his attentive touches.  
  
Seishirou’s hawk continued to fight the remaining negative energy back in the distance, as well as Subaru’s small army of birds and strewn-about ofuda. The doves devised a pincher attack and pierced the back. For the time being, the energy would slowly evaporate, and the spirit wouldn’t be able to move. Takeda would be exorcised later.  
  
The white light that emanated the wound was tender and warm. Despite not wanting to accept help from the Sumeragi, Seishirou indulged himself with the feel-good nature of such a merciful undertaking. It was a sunny balm in the sharpest of strident blizzards. His consciousness was fading but it kept him awake. The power was nothing he had never felt before, though he vaguely recognized the soft chant in his ear from reading texts in his youth. _Subaru-kun is truly kind, isn’t he_?  
  
The negative energy that plagued the wound vanished. The banishing of evil spirits spell continued to work and invade the rest of his system, working out the traces of the evil from Seishirou’s vital points and blood.  
  
Subaru paused. After ten minutes, he didn’t feel the worst of the energy inside him. He breathed in a sigh of relief. Hesitating had brought them here, but he would act with vigor for himself and for Seishirou’s sake.  
  
_I wouldn’t forgive myself if_ … Subaru didn’t finish the thought. He was too terrified to admit the truth. He should feel the opposite and that everything would work out.  
  
Blood continued to drip and stain their clothes.  
  
The healing spell had done its intended job. However, Subaru was drained after fighting for so long, and the repairing cells and tissue would take more effort than he could do.  
  
“I need to stop the bleeding,” Subaru said. He would go beyond his limits. “I will do that.”  
  
The illusionary world of the cherry blossoms suddenly surrounded them. The trees greeted them with a wave, and the big tree, the tree right in the middle, stood tall and proud.  
  
The branch held out a long string of cherry blossoms vines that extended the entire way down towards Subaru. It stopped before them. The blossoms blew in a nonexistent breeze.  
  
Subaru didn’t have to be told what to do.  
  
Subaru cupped the weave of cherry blossoms. His fingers wrapped around the branch. The cherry tree’s branches twitched with life, resilient, waiting for him to use the power necessary for the healing and binding.  
  
He lowered the branch to the arm wound.  
  
The cherry blossom tree’s power was unconditional in its rival. Even in his state, Subaru was captivated. The radiating, glowing cherry blossoms danced about his head, mocking and encouraging him to act.  
  
Subaru didn’t necessarily need Seishirou’s power to fix him, but he didn’t want to waste a single second, and deep down – so deep down in his heart – he needed to touch what made Seishirou who he was, breath in that essence. He needed him more than reserve allowed. Anything that would help wouldn’t be in vain. Subaru should deny that to himself, but the possibility of that was impossible.  
  
The blossoms latched onto the blood that flowed, and they added additional magic to the skin. The wound stitched from the outside. With the additional potency of his blood, the cherry blossoms feasted on his lifeforce and rid of the impurities that blocked their path. Each droplet of blood the blossom engorged on caused them to grow stronger, fiercer.  
  
Seishirou gripped his shirt. The shirt creases wrinkled under the force of his movements. He could feel the slight bump of blood in his throat plugging up his airway, but he didn’t cough. He had been at the better end of such things in the past to hold back the reflex.  
  
“Don’t hold back. Do you have a worse fate for me? How cruel of you to save me and attempt to kill me again when we have an actual battle to the death,” Seishirou said. He had said stop, but reality was ironic. In fact, there were no words to describe the hypocrisy. “Might you be one of those men to go out of your way and plan your revenge? And if you can’t have what you want it isn’t right? Can’t handle someone else taking away your prey? Even that small, petty man you’ll send on.”  
  
Seishirou indiscreetly reached out for the inverted pentagram on the back of Subaru’s hand. Prey… The word prey to him had lost meaning. It was cold formality for hunters. The only meaning that held any value to Seishirou was _his_ prey’s pentagram.  
  
_That word again_ , Subaru thought. He wouldn’t stop using the word prey. It stung. If nothing else, that should be the word for him. Only him. The introverted pentagram on the back of his hand burned, matching the anger that rose. But it felt so, so good, and it gave me life. _Why do you keep saying… prey…? Can’t you say prey only when it means… me?_  
  
Sharply, he pulled a second branch. The new batch of cherry blossoms attached to their master’s stomach and continued the healing ritual there, too, flowing into his open wound. Seishirou gasped with the formidable feeling. Wound after wound had been healed this way in the past, but there was a special quality to it that had never been present those times.  
  
Subaru rested the bottom of his chin on the side of Seishirou’s head. He brought his head against his chest and held him there with as much of his strength as he could. The large windows of the warehouse, the dust, and the soul that lingered within Subaru’s protection ward were forgotten. He could feel his pulse through his body. The blood flow returned to normal, and the spell was reduced to light.  
  
Seishirou had given up on trying to dissect his actions. The truth was, he was intrigued again. Indulging in the softness of Subaru’s skin was a treat that he wanted more of for himself, and his hands assuaged the ebbing pain. He didn’t leave him to go and do what they had come there for. “Have you forgotten your job?” he asked. “You haven’t exorcised the soul. Will you leave? Not losing your touch?”  
  
Subaru nearly jumped with the sound of his voice. He had given into his own desires. The leftover blood from his mouth flecked the front of his shirt. While that was all he could think about and the lessening of his bleeding, he didn’t have any reasonable answer for delaying the exorcism. The exorcism was his first priority above every other obstacle. It was the reason that he had begrudgingly agreed to let the Sakurazukamori tag along.  
  
He turned his head and nuzzled his cheek into the curly hair. Subaru relaxed. His shoulders and mind eased. Even if Seishirou himself wanted to kill him with a strike, he wouldn’t mind. If he didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to admit – but he admitted it right then and there. He could exist with him in that moment, taking care of him, forever.  
  
Idly, he pulled out the seal that was lodged in his pocket. The negative energy around Takeda’s soul was more or less gone and he stood in the center of the illusionary forest’s clearing. He tossed the seal towards him and it hit him in the stomach. Takeda shrieked and pounded on the barrier that rose, but he didn’t give it a thought, tuning him out.  
  
“For today,” Subaru said, “The prey has changed. I have my eyes set on you.”  
  
The cherry blossoms which had eaten their fill of their master’s blood rose. Twirling in the air, the blossoms surrounded Takeda. They knocked on the barrier, forcing it back and forth, gleefully thriving on his screeches.


End file.
